The General Manager of Soudal Quick-step, Patrick Lefevere, talked about his former rider Mark Cavendish in a conversation with Belgian journal Het Laatste Nieuws. The former boss of Cavendish was asked to compare the victories of Cavendish to the ones of Eddy Merckx at the Tour, since both are even with 34 wins.
“Cavendish's 34 stage victories cannot be compared to Merckx's 34. If you put Cavendish in the balance with Merckx, the choice is not so difficult. Cavendish won all 34 sprint victories. Merckx has won mountain stages, time trials and so on”, stated Lefevere, refusing to draw comparisons between the 2 riders.
Still, when asked if the former Olympic Champion will be able to beat the Belgian record, Lefevere cant say no he won't. Despite being a critic of Cavendish, refuse to retire.
“I don't dare say no. Cavendish has just announced his transfer to the Astana Qazaqstan Team for the 2023 season. Perhaps his new close guard in the sprints, and this renewal of his career, will help him in his quest for victory”, stated the Soudal Quick-Step general manager.
Mark Cavendish right now is preparing for his 2023 season in Spain with his teammates and he will start racing at the Tour of Oman on 10 February. Despite being close to his 38th birthday, he still wants to achieve his goal of beating Merckx record. Lefevere on the other hand reveled that he warned Cavendish about the risks of prolonging his adventure in the Peloton when he was in his team.
“Some people listen, others don't. Cavendish's story is that he still can't do without the racing bike. That's his right. But I don't know if that's wise”, commented Lefevere, being a bit cynical about Cavendish decision and goals.
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